The Memoirs of the Conquistador Bernal Diaz del Castillo Vol. 2

1/25/22, 8:50 PM The Project Gutenberg eBook of The Memoirs of the Conquistador Bernal Diaz del Castillo written by himself, containing a true an…
Cojohuacan, where we lost numbers of our men from this disease. For the rest, every
honour was paid to the last remains of Garay; and Cortes, with several officers, put on
mourning. May his soul rest in peace. Amen! It is, however,to be regretted that he died far
away from his wife and familyin the house of a stranger. After his departure from Mexico
prettywork was going on with his troops in Panuco; for as the officers andsoldiers had no
commander-in-chief, any one who got it into his headraised himself to captain or general,
and in this way there stood successivelyat the head of the troops, Juan Grijalva, Gonzalo de
Figueroa,Alonso de Mendoza, Lorenzo de Ulloa, Juan Medina, Juan de Villa,Antonio de la
Cada, and a certain Taborda, who was the most rebellious of all. Garay's son, to whom
Cortes' daughter was betrothed, nominally indeed, had the chief command, but the men
troubled themselvesvery little about him; and they dispersed themselves in smallbodies of
fifteen and twenty-five about the country, plundered thetownships, forcibly carried away
the women, and in every respectconducted themselves as if they were plundering among
the Moors.At last the inhabitants were resolved to suffer this no longer, andthey united in a
body with the determination to destroy these cruelinvaders, and in the space of a few days
they killed upwards of 500 Spaniards, all of Garay's troops, the most of whom were
sacrificed to their gods and their flesh was devoured. In one township alone, above one
hundred were slaughtered in this way. Cortes' troops inSantisteban were no longer able to
quell these disturbances, nor didthe Indians any way fear them; for when the garrison had
upon one occasion marched out against them, they defended themselves so valiantly that
our troops were obliged to retreat back to the town, to which the Indians had even the
temerity to lay siege, and made repeatedattacks upon it both day and night, and they would
certainly have taken it if there had not been seven or eight of the veteranconquistadores
among the garrison, who, with Vallejo, continuallyspurred on the rest of the men, and took
every military precautionto prevent so terrible a disaster. These determined men also lent
every assistance they could to the rest of Garay's troops, but at thesame time showed the
necessity of their continuing to encamp outsidethe town, so as to prevent the enemy from
making a combinedattack upon the latter. Three separate engagements were fought between
the Indians and the troops of Vallejo, joined to those of Garay,and though the former was
killed himself and many Spaniardswounded, yet the Indians were each time defeated with
considerableloss. The inhabitants had altogether become so furious and exasperated,that on
one occasion during night-time they burnt alive in oneof their towns forty Spaniards and
fifteen horses.
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When Cortes received intelligence of this terrible state of things he felt excessively
annoyed, and was upon the point of marching himselfto Panuco at the head of his troops to
quell these disturbances, buthe was still suffering from the consequences of a broken arm,
so thathe was compelled to leave this to Sandoval, whom he instantly despatchedthither
with one hundred foot, fifty horse, fifteen crossbow-menand musketeers, two cannon, and a
body of 10,000 Tlascallan andMexican auxiliaries. Sandoval's instructions were to punish
the inhabitants in such a manner as to discourage them from ever after breakingout into
rebellion. As Sandoval was a man who could not rest nightor day whenever he had any
important business on hand, he never stayed a moment longer in any place than was
absolutely necessary.Having received intelligence that the enemy had stationed the whole
of their troops in two narrow passes, he divided his men into two bodies,of which one was
to attack the first and the other the second pass.The crossbow-men and musketeers were
instructed to keep up a constantfire upon the enemy, who, however, bid a stout resistance in
theirturn, and wounded several of the Spanish and auxiliary troops. WhenSandoval found
that all his attempts to force the first pass were fruitless,and having no better fortune on the
following day, he sent ordersfor the other body, which had been equally unsuccessful at the
secondpass, to turn back upon the road leading to Mexico, he himself drawingoff his men
in the same direction. The enemy, who imagined he retreated from fear, likewise quitted
their position, and followed Sandoval with terrific yells. The latter now encamped in a
secure spot,where he remained quiet for three days; and one midnight, when hethought the
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